


Who is in control?

by SunshineScorpius



Series: Messy Mind of Mine [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Bullying, I'm carrying on with this hc that no one asked for, Insecurities, Legilimens!Scorp, M/M, Pre-Slash, scorpius has a panic attack, second year scorbus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-16 05:53:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21031307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineScorpius/pseuds/SunshineScorpius
Summary: Scorpius tried hard to keep his secret exactly that: a secret. But it all comes spilling out when a bully reads a private letter and exposes his secret power. Meanwhile, Scorpius battles with control. Is he in control of his powers, or are his powers in control of him?





	Who is in control?

**Author's Note:**

> Helloooo, I am back with another Legilimens!Scorpius oneshot, sequel (ish) to Quiet, the first part of this series! People expressed interest in it and I personally love the hc so we're gonna keep rolling with it until I run out of ideas! I hope you enjoy this and I would be grateful for any comments you may have!
> 
> tw: extreme bullying and panic attacks

_ Dear Mum and Dad, _

_ The Christmas holiday is in three weeks! I have missed you both so much! Hogwarts is great but nothing beats Dad’s hot chocolates! I haven’t got much to update you on, second year has pretty much been the same as first. Classes, exams, bullies and Albus. I was wondering can Albus- _

Scorpius stopped writing, having to quickly put his quill down to rub his temples with his fingers, easing away a headache. There was a murmuring of voices in the back of his mind, too many to make out any clear words. He’d been getting better at blocking it out, but places that were busy, such as the library and the Great Hall, often made it more difficult. And his anchor wasn’t here either. Albus was stuck in detention with Professor Longbottom after he ‘forgot’ (impossible because  _ Scorpius _ is his best friend) to do the homework.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and worked on putting up the inner walls inside his mind. That was what his parents taught him to do, it both blocked the voices he could hear and stopped anyone else from crawling into his mind. Once his headache eased slightly, he stopped rubbing his temples and opened his eyes, looking briefly around the library before turning back to his letter. 

He let out a sigh once he realised the ink from his quill had left a giant splotch on his parchment. He got out a new piece, copying what he’d already written before discarding the old parchment and carried on writing.

_ -come to visit over the holidays? Maybe even stay the night? I know you don’t like having people over, but he’s my best – well, only – friend and I miss him over the holidays. _

_ Christmas exams are starting next week, but I’m not all that worried. Well, I wouldn’t be if I could get a moments peace to revise anyway. The voices are not much better, but I can control them a little more now. I’m sorry, I know you’ll be disappointed with my lack of progress but trust me, it saddens me more than it could you. _

“Malfoy!” A sharp voice cut through his thoughts and he looked up to see Karl Jenkins, a Hufflepuff in his year, calling his name.  _ Great _ _,_ Scorpius thought,  _ just what I need right now _ . _ _ Karl, as though Scorpius invited him to, sat on his desk with a smirk and looked down at the letter he was writing. Scorpius went to quickly hide the letter, but Karl snatched it from his hand first.

He jumped off the table, still with  an irritating smirk and began to read out loud.

“Dear Mum and Dad,” he began, pacing back and forth and reading with the same tone as one would when reading to a child. People around started staring, slightly laughing at Scorpius when he tried to reach for the letter but Karl – being only slightly taller – held it out of his reach. Scorpius wasn’t sure at what point his friends joined in, but eventually two of them were holding him back from reaching for it.

The librarian was nowhere to be seen, the  _ one _ time Scorpius actually needed her. Karl kept reading the letter overdramatically, shooting looks at Scorpius throughout and rolling his eyes – as though missing his parents was such a pathetic thing.

“I would be if I could get a moments peace to revise,” Karl continued and Scorpius’ heart rate rapidly increased. There were too many people here and the next bit was very,  _ very _ personal. There was a reason no one – not even Albus – knew about the voices. Because the rumours against him were already bad enough, and not even he can imagine the taunts and teases if people found out he had the power of  Legilimens just like Voldemort did.

“The voices are not much better, but I can control them a little more now,” Karl stopped reading to look at Scorpius, head tilted slightly to the side. Scorpius struggled in the grip of his friends, desperate just to get out of the library and found somewhere to hide until Christmas break. “You know Voldemort could hear voices too?” He asked.

Around him, a couple of people snickered. Scorpius could barely breathe. For once, he could barely hear the thoughts of others over the pounding of his heart in his ears.

“You really are his son, aren’t you? Just as insane as him, just as fucking crazy. This is the first step to being exactly like him. Maybe we should take you out whilst we still can.” Karl had stepped so close to him, his face right in front of Scorpius’. Scorpius turned his head to side, wanting to look anywhere but at his cool, icy blue eyes full of hatred and contempt.

But it wasn’t just him. Scorpius could hear others and exactly what they thought too.

_ Always knew there was something off about him. _

_ We should have known really. _

_ He’s crazy, Karl’s right. _

“Back off, Jenkins!” Karl barely acknowledged Albus’ voice. He snickered slightly, his breath blowing on Scorpius’ cheek, before pulling away to face Albus.

“Was wondering when you’d show up, Potter. If we can even call you a Potter with those green robes on,” he laughed, causing the few others around to laugh as well.

“Give him his letter back and piss off,” Albus requested, voice scarily calm. Albus always stuck up for him in situations like this, like a best friend should. Scorpius was always thankful to have him as a friend – a best friend.

“I don’t think so, I think the Prophet would go crazy for a story like this,” Karl snarled.

“Don’t,” Scorpius begged, once again shuffling out of his  friends' grip and this time succeeding. “Karl, please, just give it me back.”

“What is going on here?” The librarian had finally realised the commotion going on in her library and had approached the small group of students. “Mr. Jenkins, this best not be bullying I’m witnessing.”

“Of course not, Madame  Ozari ,” Karl spun to give her a friendly smile, the letter behind his back. Albus managed to snatch it back and shove it into his pocket.

“Good, now all of you best get to dinner before it finishes.” There was a mumble of agreement from the other students as they slowly began to pack up their things. For Scorpius, there was no slow about it. He threw his books into his bag, grabbed his robes off the back of his chair, threw his bag over his shoulder and pelted out of the library. 

He could hear Albus shouting after him, but Scorpius had no desire to stop. His legs burned as less and less air got into his lungs, but there was no stopping him. With no destination in mind, he just kept going and going and going, until eventually he collapsed in an alcove somewhere in the castle.

People knew.

Albus knew.

He’d spent so long keeping this a secret, being so careful so no one would find out. How could he have been so stupid and reckless to write about it to his parents in a letter in the  _ library . _ There was a severe lack of air getting to his lungs, his thoughts running wild but – for the first time in a while – with only voices of his own.

Not that his own voices were any kinder than the others. 

Tears exploded from him, hot and wet streaming down his face. He couldn’t contain his sobs which were loud and echoing in the empty hallway. He buried his head in his knees, curling into himself opening the floodgates inside his head to all the negative thoughts he’s ever thought about himself. All the things that make him worthless and pathetic.

No bully could ever be more cruel to him than he was to himself.

“Scorpius?” A soft voice, a kind one, interrupted his state of mind. It was Albus, Scorpius didn’t need to look up and know that. Because even in his presence, his mind quietened. Albus had that effect on him, a strange ability to stop all unwanted thoughts – his own or otherwise – entering his brain. 

Albus settled next him and threw an arm around his shoulder, letting Scorpius collapse on him. He stayed silent whilst Scorpius worked his way through the ends of his sobs and was finally ready to talk. Well, he wasn’t ready. But he didn’t have much of a choice.

“Are you okay?” Albus asked once Scorpius sat up, wiping the rest of his tears away.

“You came looking for me?”

“ Of course I did, I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Albus rubbed his back slightly and then fished around in his robes, producing the letter Scorpius had been writing. “Here, I didn’t read it.”

Scorpius took the letter, pulling his wand out of his robes and sending an  _ Incendio _ it’s way. It was better he just  start again anyway. Better to retry with a new, less tainted, piece of parchment and never talk about his  Legilimens powers again in writing. It was bad enough now that a few people in the library knew and that it would no doubt spread through the school faster than  fiendfyre .

“How much of it did you hear?” Scorpius asked, not being able to look at Albus.

“Majority of it. You can... hear voices?”

Scorpius sighed. “No. Well, yes, but...” he sighed again, rubbing his eyes. “Promise me you won’t go running for the hills when I tell you?” Albus nodded. “I’m a Legilimens, I can read minds... it’s sort of in control, but not all the time so mostly I just hear voices in my head. It's better than what it used to be.”

Albus was silent for a moment - too long of a moment. Scorpius snuck a glance, but he was looking at his hands where they were wringing together in his lap. Finally, Albus looked at him and Scorpius looked away, though he could feel Albus’ intense green eyes boring into the side of his face.

“You never told me.”

“What was I supposed to say? ‘Hello, my name’s Scorpius Malfoy, I’m a  Legilimens just like my rumoured dad, Voldemort, still want to be my friend?’ You’d have run off the moment I said anything, Albus.”

“Maybe I wouldn’t have,” he assured, shuffling around so he was sat in front of Scorpius rather than next to him. He forced Scorpius to look at him and smiled. “And I’m still here now.”

“Then you’re just as sane as I am,” Scorpius joked, forcing a smile onto his face. Albus went along with him, letting out a little chuckle.

“You’ve never... read my mind, have you?”

“Oh no Albus, no! I could never. The first day we met I vowed I would never do that to you and it’s weird because for others I can’t control it but for some reason I can with you. I don’t know why and trust me, I’ve tried to research it but I can’t figure out why you’re different. But trust me when I say I would never invade your privacy like that.”

Albus slowly nodded his head, a small thankful smile on his lips. “Thank you. So, what’s it like?”

“I hate it.” That clearly wasn’t what Albus expected as he looked slightly taken aback, but Scorpius wasn’t about to lie to him and tell him it was a gift. “It’s intrusive and disgusting and the insides of other people’s minds are dark places sometimes. And the bullies? You think it’s harsh what they say out loud, but it’s nothing compared to what they really think.”

Scorpius picked up his wand that he’d discarded on the floor after setting his letter alight. He looked at it for a moment, inspecting the carvings he’d placed there before handing it to Albus. Albus furrowed his brows, but looked at it anyway, running his hands over the carvings. He’d seen them before, he’d even asked about them, but Scorpius had never told him what they were.

“Tally marks,” he said. “Most of them anyway. They count the amount of times someone has threatened to kill me in their thoughts,” Scorpius explained, watching Albus’ fingers inspect them closely. 

“That’s awful,” was all Albus could say as he passed Scorpius his wand back. Scorpius forced a tight-lipped smile and shrugged. Albus took his hands and ran a thumb over his knuckles. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. You’re the only one who helps.”

“And then I promise I’ll always be around to help.” He pulled Scorpius in for a quick hug before pulling away. “Shall we go get some dinner? I’m starving.”

“I’m not really that hungry.”

Albus smiled, “shall I go get us some dinner and bring it to the dungeons for  us _both_?”

Scorpius smiled brighter, thankful that he had Albus in his life who not only silenced the voices, but also could decipher his every thought. Scorpius nodded at him and Albus helped bring him to his feet. They went in separate ways, Scorpius taking the secret staircase down to the dungeons and Albus going to the Great Hall.

He made it to the dungeons about ten minutes after Scorpius and they sat and ate their dinner behind the closed curtains of Albus’ bed. They sat and talked for hours about everything and nothing and neither of them cared when they fell asleep in those very positions, still in their uniform but perfectly content with just each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! If you did, or even didn't, let me know in the comments, it would be greatly appreciated!  
Twitter: @sunshinescorp  
Tumblr: @sunshinescorpiusmalfoy


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